A Spark
by hope-is-4ever
Summary: Meryl makes the biggest mistake of her life. But someone else doesn't see it that way. KxM
1. Her Mistake

A/N: I need to finish Roommates, but while I was working on it this idea popped up. Might as well get it out of the way.

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**Chapter 1: Her Mistake**

She wondered if he'd ever forgive her. Then she wondered if she'd ever be able to forgive herself.

What she'd done . . . and with whom . . . it was unforgivable. Completely and utterly lacking of any morals.

And why had she done it? Simple. She couldn't wait. All this time, all these years, and she couldn't wait for the idiot to finally make his move, that first step when they would _finally_ have a relationship.

Oh, she'd been patient. For so long she'd stood by his side through the good times and the bad, though they'd tended to lean more toward the latter than the former.

Being with an infamous man tended to do that, create a lot of hard times.

But she'd survived, even managed to give him some moral support every now and then, just when he looked like he couldn't live with himself another minute.

And what had it gotten her? Nothing.

Sure they had their friendship, and it _was_ nice to be a companion to such a kind, gentle man, but it _wasn't enough_. Not for her.

She'd felt starved for affection, the kind between a couple, that fire that kindled between them, announcing to the world that here was two people that belonged together.

Too bad there hadn't even been a spark.

Not through lack of trying on her side, though. She'd wracked her brain for any way to move their relationship (or lack of one) to the next level.

She'd started small, little things here and there. The clasping of hands hadn't worked so well. He hadn't wanted to let go of a donut long enough for her to even grasp a finger. She tried creating romantic moments, like a room lit only by a multitude of candles. She dumped that idea when he almost caught the house on fire after knocking into a table and tipping one of them over.

Then came her grandest plan of all. What she thought was a surefire way to grab his attention.

She'd asked him out.

Well, not in so many words . . . But she'd inquired if he'd wanted to have dinner with her at a local fine cuisine restaurant.

And what had been his answer? "Oh, Meryl, I'd love to?" No! The pig had said that he already had plans . . . to visit the local tavern with some buddies of his!

And she'd had perfect poise at that news. She'd calmly lied to him that that was fine, she'd gotten them free from a coworker anyway and that maybe Millie would want them. Then she'd immediately but slowly walked out of the room and gone to her bedroom.

She'd been proud of herself . . . She'd made it all the way to the second floor before the tears started. Following that was a horrid night filled with a wet pillow and dry throat.

So there went a reservation for two that she'd practically thrown at her partner. The big girl had lately gotten favorable attention from a young man in town and Meryl couldn't bear to see them go to waste.

Vash had actually picked up that she was angry with him after that. He hadn't a clue _what_ had ticked her off, but he'd tried to cheer her up. But this made her even more angry because what _dufus_ couldn't figure out how much a woman wanted him when she was giving oh-so-obvious signs?

Maybe that was the last straw, the stick that broke the camel's back, the point at which she raised her white flag and surrendered to whatever fate had in store for her. And boy did it have a doosy.

Which was why she found herself in _this_ position, feeling like the biggest traitor that had ever walked No Man's Land. And that was saying something with all of the cutthroats and back-stabbers that had been born on this world.

Maybe if she ran away, far away, she could learn to live with the guilt.

The body beside her shifted, disturbing her morbid and self-depreciating thoughts. She lay still, keeping as quiet as possible in the hope that the being beside her would not wake up.

It seemed like her prayers were answered when the movement stopped. Making as little motion as possible herself, she scooted to the edge of the large bed, away from her bedmate, and began scouting the floor for her clothing.

Nothing but an empty floor . . . wait. There! Something white peaked out from under the bed and she leaned over to reach for it.

Moving with the swiftness and ease of a sand-snake the other occupant rolled until he was right behind her, his long arms wrapped around her torso, right below her breasts which were hidden by the sheet.

She gasped and squirmed, accidently falling further off the bed until only his hold kept her from hitting the floor. Which was probably what he'd planned in the first place.

She felt his larger body slide over hers till his mouth was level her ear. She felt his breath and shivered, unbidden memories of the last few hours surfacing in her mind.

"Going somewhere?"

She felt herself gasp again at his perfect guess . . . and at the way his tongue slid over the shell over her ear. Her mind took a few moments to catch up and she growled at him.

"Stay out of my head! You have no business being there!"

"Oh?" he chuckled. "And what makes you believe that any part of you is not mine to delve into?"

Meryl blushed at his double meaning and squirmed again, only to scream as she found herself being hauled onto the bed as he flipped them both over so that she lay on her back and he leaned over her.

The sheets around her had completely fallen off, leaving her bare to her waist and very aware of that fact. Not that he was in a much better state of dress. At least the blankets covered both of them down _there_.

Still she self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest, which only served to attract his attention to that spot.

His mocking smirk set off something inside of her as he stared at her condescendingly. Her pent up anger and frustration, most of which had been directed at herself, found a new outlet.

Physical abuse. So she slapped him, wiping off that stupid look.

Too bad he was so much bigger than herself, or she'd gotten another shot at it. As it was, he easily pinned down both her hands on either side of her head and leaned down until they were nose-to-nose.

"_Don't_ attempt that again," he warned in that cool voice of his.

She took his words to heart. Wasn't a good idea to set off the mass-murderer, after all.

But she still wanted to leave. "Let go," she told him sternly. Though her tomato-red face ruined the effect.

He leaned back slightly so he could read her entire face, the determined tilt of her jaw, her clenched teeth.

"I never took you for a coward, Stryfe."

The woman sputtered. "A.. coward?!"

One pale eyebrow rose at her disbelieving tone. "Tell me then that you don't plan on running from this." He gestured between the two of them, naked and together in bed, with one hand.

She felt a bubble of frustrated laughter make its way past her lips. "And what exactly am I supposed to do? Hmm? I've betrayed the only man I've ever loved . . . and with his _brother_ of all people!"

He let her go as she rolled away from him, presenting the plant with a view of her smooth back.

It was apparent she didn't expect an answer, but he spoke anyway. "He doesn't love you, you know."

Somewhere in the vicinity of her heart she felt a crack form. He said it so calmly, without a hint of inflection, as if it was an obvious fact she should have known.

And maybe she should have. Deep down she knew that Vash didn't, _wouldn't_, let anyone get that close to him. But hope was such a stubborn thing, even to the point of clinging to something that wasn't there.

So she could admit that maybe she'd never had a chance, that Vash had been, and would always be, out of her reach. That didn't mean she had to take the news lightly.

She turned to him angrily. "And what makes you so sure?! Have you been reading his mind, too?!"

His head was propped up by one hand, elbow on the soft mattress as he stared at her blandly. "My brother is incapable of deep commitment. That is clear through his dealings with humans, as you well know." The plant focused on her with his cold eyes. "His dealings with your mortality has ingrained in him the fact that those of your race quickly fade away."

Meryl gaped at him, shocked by how quickly and thoroughly he was able to dissect his brother's mind. "_Have_ you been reading his mind?" she inquired seriously.

He gave her a disgusted look. "No."

She nodded, believing him, and again turned away, mulling over the new and altogether depressing realities she had to face. Vash would never love her, not in the way she wanted. So where did that leave her now?

Could she continue living in the same house, hell, in the same _town_ knowing that her love, for she still loved him, would never be returned? Even in her own mind it sounded remarkably like self-inflicted torture.

This would definitely take some serious thought, she decided.

Not once did she think of the male beside her and what had recently occurred between them.

-------

Knives glared at the back of her head as he monitored her frenetic thoughts. It wasn't a nice feeling, being summarily forgotten in the blink of an eye.

The woman was beginning to annoy him with her constant thoughts of "Vash this" and "Vash that". He supposed that she had blanked him out simply because she'd used him to comfort herself, just as he'd used her to . . . try an experiment . . . of sorts.

Humans were a persistent species, propagating and multiplying to continue their own existence. In his own way he'd wanted to find out what made them tick, what kept them going through this cycle generation after generation. Was he right and they were merely following animal instincts? Or was it something more?

And in his mind there had been only one logical and foolproof way to find out, and that was to try it himself.

Not the propagating part, of course. The idea of having prodigy was not a part of his plans at this point in time. Maybe later . . . much later.

Once the decision had been made, he'd quickly moved forward with his scheme, of which the first step had been to choose a female to partner with. In and of itself the choice had been relatively easy to make. There were not very many humans he was acquainted with, and in his mind the experiment called for someone he at least had some prior knowledge of.

Isn't that what most humans did in permanent relationships, select a person they had gained sufficient enough information on, rather than a complete stranger?

He admitted (quiet grudgingly) that his expertise in the area of most things human, besides their faults, was limited, but he would make the most of what he had.

So he'd taken a long, hard look at his two remaining choices, the only two human females he had any form of contact with: his brother's "insurance girls".

Not a very big list, but it was what he'd had to work with. Knives had gone about making his selection scientifically. He had listed what he saw as their pros and cons. Such as Millie's prodigious strength being a con in this case. If it came down to forcing her to his will than he would have a difficult time of it. Mind control would have been a backup option, except that she had the uncanny ability to resist his powers. Not to mention that she was already taken by another male.

Needless to say, deciding between the two women had not been particularly difficult.

The smaller one, Meryl, was easily subdued and had limited resistance to his plant skills, though that in and of itself was strange.

Anyway, he'd immediately implemented the next phase of his plan: the gathering of information. While he knew little of humans, he did have enough of an idea not to simply walk up to the female and demand she submit to him. Somehow he doubted that that would work.

He'd been hoping to find something, a weakness he could exploit. What he had discovered pleased him greatly. The woman was hopelessly in love with his brother, a love he knew wasn't mutual.

Knives couldn't think of a better way to manipulate her than through her infatuation. He'd just have to wait for the perfect moment to spring his trap.

And that moment had indeed come, just as he'd surmised it would.

One major flaw, or a potential flaw that he'd overlooked until the last moment, was his ability to . . . perform, as it were. He knew his body had to feel desire for a female to function in the necessary way for his plan to work. Surprisingly, when the time had come for him to begin, it had easily and swiftly risen to the surface.

Everything from there had been carried out perfectly, without a hint of a mistake . . . except for this. This _feeling_. It was rage, _that_ he recognized. But beneath it lay a deeper emotion which ate away at his self-control, stretching his patience until he felt ready to snap.

The more he listened to her thoughts, her plans, the more he felt like grabbing her slight form and dragging her back to him. He wanted to curve his body around hers, to imprint himself on her permanently so that there would be no more thoughts of his brother.

So there would only be thoughts of _him_ in her mind.

At that moment he felt her come to a decision which had her rising yet again from the bed. Acting out of instinct his hand snapped out and grabbed her arm.

------

Meryl knew what she was going to do, what she _needed_ to do. She would return to Bernardelli headquarters in December. The move smacked of cowardice, and Millie and Vash would undoubtedly ask questions, but she didn't much care at the moment.

The guilt of what she'd done overwhelmed all else. What kind of person was she, to throw away her morals for a one-night stand? Was she so desperate for affection of any kind, from anyone, that she would sink so low as to sleep with her loves brother?

Apparently.

It was in her best interest not to delay. Meryl was nothing if not efficient and when something needed to be done she was quick to finish it. So she made to slide out of bed, completely unheeding of the being beside her yet again, intent on carrying out her plan.

That is until a large and powerful hand found her bare forearm.

With only enough time to gasp she found herself on her back and pinned beneath his larger body, again.

She squirmed uncomfortably beneath his greater weight. "What are you doing?! Let me up!"

His answering chuckle, deep and threatening, froze her. In that one sound there was a clear message. Knives was angry. Why she had not a clue.

In the darkness of night the room was lit by the meager rays of the moons outside filtering through the blinds. The male's face was thrown in shadow, except for his eyes.

A brilliant blue, they stood out in the black like two bright stars. She couldn't take her eyes away from them.

In the stillness his words were all the more powerful.

"Who said I was through with you yet?"


	2. His Solution

A/N: Such a delay on this story! With work and the holiday season already in full swing I found myself with little time to write. Oh, well! Here it is, the edited version! For those of you who wish to read any mature material, you can go to my website, which can be found through my profile page. And maybe if you're a fanfic author or simply want to you can join? (I know, shameless plug)

But a word of warning, if the link doesn't work it's because my provider is having difficulties. Hopefully, though, it will be fixed soon...

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Chapter 2: His Solution

Meryl gaped at him as he hovered above her. The breadth of his wide shoulders completely blocked her view of everything else, making her feel small and defenseless. "What?" she squeaked, even as her mind scrambled for the meaning behind his words.

One eyebrow rose mockingly. "You may be human, but you are not dense, Stryfe."

Her jaw tightened as anger flared and she jabbed him in the ribs. Hard. Fear forgotten, fury ruling her, she told him the first, the most hurtful words, that came to mind.

"You're no Vash, that's for sure."

Anger glowed in his eyes, making them spit showers of ice. His hand gripped her chin tightly as the features on his face hardened. "I never said I was, Spider." Knives sneered. "Not that it seemed to matter to you before."

She gasped and jerked back in his hold, feeling physically slapped by his harsh words.

_Flashback_

Oh why did she always end up alone?! The bed beneath her shook with the force of her sobs. Why was she the one left with nothing while others lived fulfilling lives? Sure, her practical and precise ways didn't exactly attract the opposite sex, but wasn't there one guy out there for her?

She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes closed, hoping that maybe this pain, this deep ache in her chest, would dwindle away. Or she could get lucky and it would break entirely, leaving her an empty hole where her heart had once been. _Anything_ would be preferable to this.

_End Flashback_

Knives watched as her eyes clenched shut, blocking him and her pain out. The woman was hurting, and he was deriving no pleasure from that fact.

His plan had been so foolproof, so perfect. What had gone wrong?

_Flashback_

She was vulnerable. The moment of action had come and now was the time to take advantage of the situation.

He'd been monitoring her condition of late, her agitation noticeable even without his powers. The dark shadows under her eyes, her constant staring at Vash when he wasn't looking, were all signs that the woman was losing the ability to keep her emotions in check.

As the outcome was not going to be a relationship between her and his brother, Knives knew that eventually she would fall prey to an emotional depression.

Which, from what he could read in her mind, had finally occurred.

He lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling, hands crossed behind his head. The plant was naked bar a pair of drawstring pants which hung low on his hips. A sliver of moonlight shafted through the window and fell across the bed with its white sheets and its occupant, accentuating the muscled upper torso, liberally doused with fine golden hairs.

He sat up and, using his mind, scanned for the other two roommates with whom they resided with. Millie he found was asleep in her room. With his powers he prodded her mind into a deeper slumber, surprised when it worked. He'd have to remember that she was vulnerable when unconscious.

Vash took a little while longer to find, as he was clear across the town. From the fogginess clouding his brother's mind he deduced that the outlaw was well into his cups and wouldn't be in for a few more hours yet. Plenty of time for what he wanted to do.

Knives placed his feet on the wood floor, rose, and walked to his door. On quiet feet, he didn't want his prey to gain the chance to run, the plant walked the short distance to Meryl's room, which was across and a little down the narrow hall.

The door was slightly ajar, left open after her hasty retreat to her room earlier. He'd heard the noise of quick footsteps and the front door slamming, both of which had caught his undivided attention. The emotional anguish pouring off of the women had the confirmed his suspicions. She and Vash must have finally had the confrontation that had been mounting for weeks.

Whatever had happened he neither knew nor cared. All that mattered was that he reach his goal.

Though the door was old and cracked the hinges were well oiled and made not a sound as he gently pushed the portal open, just enough for him to slip in. The room was organized, with a chest of drawers on the wall across from him and the bed and a small bedside table to his left. A few mementos and knickknacks dotted here and there on the walls in the form of pictures to add a sense of comfort, openness. Much like the woman herself.

With a small push he closed the door behind him until he felt the latch click shut, his gaze never straying from the figure on the bed.

The woman, lost in her misery as she sat on her bed, her back to him, didn't notice his arrival.

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Strong and pale arms surrounded her. A weight on the bed and then a warm body was mere inches from her own. Meryl tensed and began thrashing against the unknown person. A smooth voice rumbled from behind her. He was so close she could actually _feel_ the words.

"Calm down."

She stilled, her hands resting on his, but only because she was so tired. Not because his body so close to hers was making her feel...strange.

It wasn't physical fatigue that plagued her, but the mental kind. Meryl felt as if she'd pulled two all-nighters in a row, like that time she'd finished a major project that had taken months of intense work...only this was so much worse.

But she was lucid enough to notice that Knives was definitely _not_ acting like himself. She didn't like this one bit...but neither did she try to pull away.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was tired, the weariness of a battle lost making her words soft.

His answer was simple. "You need this."

Irritation flared at his highhandedness. As if he knew was she needed. The man was a walking ice cube, devoid of any feelings of compassion and kindness. The best emotion she'd ever evoked in him was indifference. Suspicion swaggered in its wake.

Her head tilted until she could see the sharp features of his face out of the corner of her eye. "What do you want?"

He chuckled and she subtly tried to sway herself away from him, much too aware of his chest against her back.

"Does it matter?" He leaned forward, his arms tightening around her, causing the woman to feel completely surrounded, enveloped in his much larger form.

Warning signs were going off in her mind, telling her that something wasn't right, that she should escape from this situation while she could. She restlessly shifted against his hold, testing to see if she could break away. Meryl was surprised when his arms gave away and he moved away from her, the sheets rustling beneath his weight.

Brushing at the tears staining her cheeks, she turned on the bed and looked at the man sitting in the middle of the mattress.

She was unsurprised by his attire, she'd seen him plenty of times at night dressed as such. What she wasn't ready for the was the overall effect of having him so close, his pale skin visible in the darkness. His eyes were intently staring at her. She was his sole focus and that knowledge both thrilled and terrified her.

The insurance lady knew that for the most part, to him she was nothing more than another human, albeit one who spent an inordinate amount of time around his person. That still classified her as no more than a bug in his book.

Meryl sighed deeply and closed her eyes. "What are you doing here, Knives?"

"Maybe I've just come to offer a little...solace."

The look she gave him was incredulous. "I've never heard such a pathetic excuse. As if you would ever offer anyone _anything_." She speared him with a hard glance. "Not without a price."

There was a flicker in his eyes that she couldn't quite read before it vanished.

Warily she stood, not letting him out of her sight. "I think," she spoke slowly, "that it's time for you to leave."

He didn't budge, not a muscle. If anything his form seemed to root itself to the bed. Knives was so still, reminding her of a snake readying itself for the strike.

"I believe, Miss Stryfe," he stated as slowly as her, "that I will have to decline."

Meryl had only enough time to gape at him before she felt him worm his way into her mind, a touch like warm honey sliding over her thoughts. Her body froze, as if she'd been placed in an ice cube. But rather than cold she felt a warmth rise within her, starting from her core and rising upward like a volcano.

She gasped and stared in shock as Knives slowly smiled. One hand lifted from where it rested on the coverlet and came to rest on her bare arm.

Sensations like she'd never felt streaked through her at his touch. Meryl shook as he gripped her more firmly. Like the most intimate of caresses where he touched her a fire ignited, a burning passion. Her flesh became pliant and soft beneath his hard fingers.

She stared into his blue eyes, utterly helpless to stop her reaction.

His smile had turned smug. "Comfort comes in many ways, Miss Stryfe."

_End Flashback_

"You are _not_ leaving," he boldly stated. Whatever had occurred between them before was not enough to satisfy him, Knives had realized. That meant another course was in order. A wolfish grin spread across his face.

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Beneath him Meryl was still fuming at his snide remark. "Not complaining" indeed. Not that she'd had a choice. Whatever he'd done, and just _what_ that was she still had no clue, had made her ripe for the plucking.

Her every nerve had begged for more contact, more of his touch. She blushed at the memory of the intimate acts they'd done. That and her chest was completely exposed...again. Meryl channeled that embarrassment, creating it into a veil of anger.

"Will you get over yourself?!" She yelled, and gave him a hard push to prove her point that she wasn't impressed. "You tricked me anyway!"

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Coercion was necessary the first time."

She scoffed. "Coercion? Is that what you call forcing me to let you have your way? Because that's exactly what you did." The woman blinked, catching up with his last words. "And what do you mean "the first time"?"

It was at that point she noticed the gleam in his eyes, a particular shine which had been present during their earlier...activities.

Pressing farther back into the bed she shook her head vehemently in denial. "Oh no. Not again. Stay out of my head!"

He let her chin go when she moved, instead placing it on her shoulder. He began a slow caress down her arm, his gaze never leaving hers. Her eyes grew large. "There's no need for that."

On those words his head swooped down and his lips covered hers. She gasped, shocked by his move. Before he'd never tried to kiss her. Now, with his hard mouth against hers, the whole experience felt intensely intimate. Personal. Not just another feeding of their appetites.

Soon they both lost themselves in the other as passion and desire swamped their senses.

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As common sense slowly returned she squirmed beneath Knives' greater weight, trying to shift from under him. Her earlier plan rose in her mind and she wondered how far she could get before he would try and stop her again. Or if he would even bother.

He mumbled a few unintelligible words and she stopped for a moment, hoping he would fall asleep. No such luck. His head turned, one blue eye staring at her unnervingly.

When she couldn't take his silence any longer she blurted out, "What?"

"You're trying to leave again," he stated simply.

She frowned. Didn't he want her gone? It's not like he wanted her for any reason other than to have sex with her...did he? Meryl mentally shook her head. Who was she kidding? The man was a walking human-hater, of which she was included. Surprisingly, that thought hurt, a sharp needle-like stab of pain on her already broken heart. All this intimacy between them must have raddled her mind, she decided. Though it was definitely time to go, before he decided to do more than ravish her.

Sliding along the bedding, she deftly removed herself from his warmth, almost sorry for the loss. A sheet lay on the floor and she grasped it and flush it about herself, toga style, in an attempt to save what little modesty she had left.

Without looking back at the bed she made for the door, making a mental note to come back for her clothing at a later date...much later. At least she had some extra clothes in Millie's room. She only hoped Knives wouldn't stay too long.

A large, pale figure blocked her path, appearing in the blink of an eye. Unlike her, he hadn't bothered to don anything, and was still as naked as the day he was born.

She valiantly tried to keep her gaze focused northward as she tugged the sheet closer to her body. "You can't keep me in here forever, you know."

One eyebrow rose as he folded his arms across his chest. "I don't intend to."

Frustration swelled. "Then why are you doing this?" She indicated him standing between her and the door.

"Because I need to make sure you'll come back."

She almost lost her grip and only just managed to regain her hold before she was completely exposed. "_Excuse_ me?"

"If I let you leave this room now, you'll leave this room, this house, this town." He shrugged. "And that is something I will not tolerate."

"You won't tolerate..." she repeated. As if he had any say in the matter?! "How I live me life is no concern of yours," Meryl told him tersely.

"It is now." She opened her mouth to question him when he held up a hand. The insurance lady glared, but let him speak.

"You let me in this room," he unfolded his arms and took one step toward her, "You let me inside _you_," a smirk at her blush and another step. "You let me have you," she began backing away...right into the wall next to the bed. His eyes narrowed as he closed in. "And I don't let go of my possessions that easily."

He was right in front of her, caging her in. Meryl felt her heart jump at his possessive tone , the way his cold blue eyes focused solely on her, as if she was the only thing that mattered...

A large part of her railed at him for raising her hopes, for letting her even believe for a moment that he might care.

"So what," she sneered, "I've now been promoted to an object in your eyes? No longer the 'lowly human'"?

He didn't take the bait, didn't prove her right. Rather, his answer rocked her to her core.

"You're mine."

The words, clipped and strong, left her in no doubt that he meant them. She was too tired to deal with this, Meryl decided. Everything was happening too fast. There was too much for her poor mind to absorb.

She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning heavily against the white wall behind her. "What do you want?"

Meryl could feel the wall shift slightly as he pressed his hands to it on either side of her head.

"Does it matter?"

He sounded so cold, so calm about this entire thing, while her heart lay in a broken mass on the floor. Vash would never love her, but did his brother have to torture her so? It felt as if he was offering her a second chance at having her dream, but never quite committing all the way, leaving her lost and even more alone than before.

Opening her eyes slightly, she stared at the chest in front of her face, refusing to meet his eyes, which always saw more than they should.

"Maybe it doesn't," she mumbled, mostly speaking to herself.

She felt the delicate touch of fingertips on her jaw. He gripped her chin lightly, a hint of a touch, and lifted her gaze to his. Eyes as blue as a cloudless sky, as ancient as the human civilization on this planet stared at her, searching her face.

Meryl didn't flinch, didn't look away, but neither did she open herself up to him, tell him what she was feeling. She'd already tried opening her feelings to another and that had ended up in heartache.

When he spoke he did so slowly. "What would you say if I told you that I wanted you?"

A small, bitter laugh escaped her before she could cage it. "I just don't see why that would be. You forget. I know your record with humans."

"Hmm. Humans, yes, but what about you?"

She gave him a confused look. "What about me?"

"Have I ever treated you as I do other humans?"

Meryl frowned. Hadn't he? I mean, besides the fact that she was still alive, was there any difference? She supposed the plant had been a little more...open. He hadn't spilled his guts about the terrible things he'd done (and she was of the opinion that he _ever_ wasn't going to), but whenever they'd gone out as a group he hadn't left their side.

Whenever there was a crowd to ford he chose to violate his personal space with their persons, hers and Millie included, rather than a stranger's. And he _had_ been spending more time around them, choosing to eat at the table rather than in his room. Oh, and he'd had sex with her, but what did that prove? She still had no idea what his motives were, but she doubted that he was _that_ desperate for human contact.

She looked, finally looked at him. His features were the same as always, that aristocratic nose and sharp cheek bones, but his blue orbs were...different. Not so frosty, perhaps? Meryl desperately wanted to believe it, that he had a heart under the cold exterior he exuded.

The insurance lady shook her head. "I just don't know anymore..."

"Then give me the chance to prove it."

"A chance to prove it?"

He tilted his head to the side, looking almost...adorable. "Isn't that what you gave my brother? You watched him, made sure that he was what you wished for in a suitable partner?"

"Well, yeah, but..." This was just too weird. Was he actually asking her to allow him to _court_ her?!

He slid away from her, taking all of his warmth away and she realized for the first time how cold the room was without him. He looked completely affronted, and she realized how much this had taken him to say. Knives had as much pride as she and to ask for such a thing from a human had to have taken a great deal of humility. He probably didn't have any left.

The plant turned to leave, not even bothering to grab his clothes. She stood against the wall, her mind whirling, trying to quickly find a decision that she would not regret.

His hand touched the knob...

"Wait!" Her arm was outstretched, as if to stop him.

He didn't turn around, but she knew he was waiting and that her next words would make all the difference. She hugged her hand to herself.

"I...That is, I don't want you to leave."

"Then what do you want?"

Oh, boy. He wasn't going to make this easy on her.

"I want you to stay...with me. I don't know if any of this is real," she told him, stating exactly how she felt, "but I want it to be..."

He turned to her as his hand slid away from the door. They stared at each from across the room. Something had formed between them this night, a spark that Meryl knew she had to give a chance.

"Then that will have to do..for now."


End file.
